Angular momentum is a fundamental property of motion. For elementary particles such as electrons, the total angular momentum is given by the sum of orbital angular momentum and spin angular momentum. Orbital angular momentum arises from the orbit of the electron about a nucleus. Spin angular momentum, also referred to as spin, is the remaining angular momentum of the electron not associated with orbital motion of the electron. Spin can be likened to a vector quantity, with a direction and a quantized magnitude given by n/2, where n is a non-negative integer.
Spintronics is the study of the spin of electrons and its associated magnetic moment in solid state devices, amongst other properties, and involves manipulation of spins by magnetic and electrical fields. There exists an ongoing need for improved systems and methods for manipulating spin in solid state devices.